Friday, December 28, 2007

Nothing For Granted

Rusty Hardin – the attorney defending Roger Clemens against claims that he used performance-enhancing drugs – seems to be fighting for more than just the honor of baseball’s greatest pitcher.

It sounds like he is fighting for truth and justice, too.

Scott Atlas, a prominent Houston lawyer, described Hardin in The New York Times:

“He outworks everybody. And primarily he does his own investigation, pursues every lead, doesn’t take anything for granted. I would say that is what really sets him apart from most lawyers. He will challenge every assumption people have to see what happened, and that’s what’s happening here.”

Pursuing every lead, never taking anything for granted and challenging every assumption is supposed to be the job of journalists. But they’ve shown little interested in any real investigation into George Mitchell’s report on steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

Most seem comfortable taking Bud Selig’s word that Mitchell is “an honorable man,” and that his work and findings are beyond reproach.

A few writers – Buster Olney, Murray Chass, Bill Madden and Dave Zirin – have pulled on some of the loose threads in the report, but there is still plenty of work to do.

Hardin’s reputation leads me to believe that he won’t quit until he gets all the answers.

I’m hopeful that his effort will push journalists to uncover some truth and maybe a bit of justice in this whole mess.

But I’ve seen too much, or should I say too little, from the media to take anything for granted these days.

6 comments:

Pete said...

This Rusty Hardin is George Mitchell’s worst nightmare. I don’t think Mitchell or Selig ever dreamed they would be questioned about anything. Hell is about to come down right on their heads.

Donna said...

Thanks for calling out all the “journalists” out there who have been sitting on their hands. If whatever this lawyer is able to uncover doesn’t light a fire under them than nothing will.

JoeyBoy said...

It ought to be fun watching Mitchell and Selig squirm on this one.

Henry said...

You all want truth and justice in baseball? I don’t see it happening with guys like Selig and Mitchell trolling around. I see this Hardin guy meeting with “an unfortunate incident that will put him at the mercy of Federal Investigators.”

If he agrees never to question authority again they might let him go free and even get him a job as a cook at McDonalds.

spitzer said...

I just came over from Pete Abe’s blog. Awesome stuff, man. Great commentary.

Larry Jaffe said...

Down here near Tampa where I live (Clearwater), nobody takes nothin for granted. Lots of old folks down here like some kind of human elephantine graveyard. I have never seen anything like it cept when driving on that Brooklyn Queens Expressway past all those cemeteries, except these guys are still alive. And they take nothin for granted, not Roger Maris, not Barry Bonds, not Henry Aaron and certainly not Mr. Roger Clemens. Its not that these guys have one life to live, they probably got dozens and have outlasted everyone they know. They live on nostalgia and night games at the Polo Grounds and the Stadium. They don't know nothin bout PED's cept they thought it was a pedestrian crossing when I was tellin them bout it. Jeez did they kick up a fuss. Said, laddie, they should just test everyone. Give old Teddy a sobriety test before he votes on the next bill. My ol pal Georgie said yeah and give dat president an IQ test lets see what's goin on in dat head of his. Georgie likes to make it a point to rag on the pres cuz they got the same first name but Georgie's IQ is way up dere and not double digit like some folks he knows.